Shravanī Hydro Project: Blatant Negligence Exposed: A Monument of Corruption, Riddled with Fraud, and Violations
Jeypore 21.02.2025 : The Shravanī Hydro Project has emerged as a catastrophic failure, marred by rampant corruption, blatant negligence, and utter disregard for safety regulations. A damning investigation by the Joint Committee has exposed that the project was constructed without conducting a mandatory Geodetic Triangulation Survey (GTS), putting both environmental stability and human lives at extreme risk.
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Dangerously Unchecked Construction, Flagrant Violations
In an astonishing display of incompetence, the river dam’s seven gates have been completed without a single quality check. The absence of structural integrity assessments means that the entire project is a disaster waiting to happen. The Joint Investigative Committee has condemned these gross oversights and ordered immediate corrective actions, though whether those responsible will be held accountable remains doubtful.
Further compounding the recklessness, the embankment—set at a height of 12 meters above sea level—was constructed without technical validation from an independent agency. This glaring oversight not only endangers the surrounding ecology but also threatens potential flooding disasters for downstream communities. Assistant Engineer Rajanikant Mishra has raised alarms about the ongoing mismanagement, yet project authorities remain indifferent to the consequences.
Forest Department Unmasks Land Grabs and Environmental Destruction
A separate drone survey conducted by the Forest Department has unearthed further egregious violations. The construction agency’s claims of adherence to environmental regulations have been categorically debunked, with evidence suggesting unauthorized encroachment beyond the approved 4.6 hectares of forest land. Adding to the scandal, a questionable land compensation payment of Rs. 2.6 lakh raises strong suspicions of financial fraud.
District Forest Officer (DFO) Pratap Kumar Behera’s statements, rather than exposing these violations, appear to shield the construction company. His insistence that no forest land was harmed contradicts clear satellite evidence. His lack of action to penalize the offenders further deepens suspicions of corruption and regulatory collusion.
Total Absence of Oversight: The NGT Likely to Intervene
Assistant Engineer Mishra from the Kolab Dam division has been relentless in his criticism of the lack of oversight, pinpointing the shocking absence of a GTS survey, missing center-point identification for river tracking, nonexistent boundary markings, and the absence of even basic safety precautions. The absence of any report on water resource management underscores the sheer incompetence of those running this doomed project.
Even the Jeypore Citizen Committee’s report to the government, based on unverified and misleading information, demonstrates the level of deception at play. The mounting public outrage suggests that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) may soon step in to hold the perpetrators accountable and put an end to this regulatory farce.
The Shravanī Hydro Project is nothing short of a scandal—a lethal combination of incompetence, environmental destruction, and corruption. With no quality control, no adherence to safety measures, and financial irregularities rife, it stands as a testament to the complete failure of governance. The state government is set to receive a full report by the 25th, but whether real action will follow or this fiasco will be swept under the rug remains to be seen.
C B Singh
Bureau Chief Southern Odisha
